Fantasy football: Crowded backfields make for frustrated owners

In some NFL cities, the backup quarterback is one of the most popular players in town -- see the Jets, Broncos and the next organization that decides to take its turn on the Timothy Richard Tebow Hype Machine.

In the fantasy locker rooms we manage each week, an NFL team's backup running back can be the distraction our fake club struggles to overcome.

The backup running back who fills in admirably for an injured or benched starter is the fantasy equivalent of adding Terrell Owens and Chad Johnson to a team without an established quarterback or tossing Skip Bayless into a roundtable discussion about Tebow's inability to throw a 15-yard out pattern.

Ryan Mathews' fumbling problems have led to Jackie Battle's emergence.

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Fred Jackson's opening-week knee injury led to more chances for C.J. Spiller to show he is among the best backs in the game.

If you drafted Spiller, you looked like a genius during the first three weeks of the season.

Then Jackson returned last week, and Buffalo's backfield was a crowded mess -- like something out of Mike Shanahan's How To Torture A Fantasy Owner handbook.

Let's take a quick look at five of fantasy's most frustrating running-back situations.

There might be few easy answers, but at least there will only be two more mentions of Tebow.

To amp up the drama, we'll save the most annoying backfield for last.

5. Carolina -- At this point, maybe we should just accept the DeAngelo Williams-Jonathan Stewart combination for what it is: A situation that should be avoided at almost any cost.

Stewart missed two of the Panthers' first four games, and Williams responded by failing to rush for more than 69 yards in any of the four contests.

In 26 games played since 2010, Williams has 10 touchdowns and is averaging 52.5 rushing yards per game.

In 2010 and '11, Stewart scored only eight TDs in 30 games, and he rushed for an average of 766 yards per season.

The last season in which this combination worked was 2009 -- when the pair combined for 2,250 yards on the ground.

Factor in quarterback Cam Newton and his 17 rushing TDs in 20 career games, and we're left with this conclusion: Avoid both Stewart and Williams.

If you have to pick one, I'd go with Stewart, who had 21 total TDs in 2008 and '09 and is four years younger.

4. N.Y. Jets -- On Twitter this week, I made a lame joke about Tebow being the Jets' best running back.

But seriously, would you rather have Tebow getting handoffs or Shonn Greene and his 2.8 yards per carry?

Since rushing for 94 yards and a touchdown in the opener, Greene has 41 carries for 97 yards, a 2.4-yard average, and zero touchdowns.

I wouldn't start him right away, but he should be a decent No. 2 running back in 12-team leagues soon.

2. San Diego -- Mathews, who has 10 fumbles in 28 career games, began last week on the bench. Battle had 81 total yards and a pair of touchdowns against the Chiefs, but was outrushed, 61-39, by Mathews, despite the latter getting one fewer carry. (That Norv Turner really knows how to send a message!)

In the coming weeks, I would anticipate Mathews being a top-10 fantasy back.

For the time being, he is at best a No. 2 starter. Battle, who has four TDs in as many games, might continue to get the goal-line carries.

If you own the latter, root for another Mathews fumble. That could give the job to Battle on nearly a full-time basis.

Both are working their way back from injuries, and both, especially Spiller, have the potential to be a No. 1 fantasy back.

Of the two, I'd rather have Spiller, who is more explosive and six years younger.

For the time being, Jackson is a mediocre No. 2 back in fantasy, and Spiller is best as a flex play.

If one of them is injured again, the other's value will obviously soar.

If you own Jackson, you should make a serious push to acquire Spiller while his value is at its lowest point since the Bills' 10th game of 2011 -- the contest in which Jackson broke his leg, Spiller took over and frustration ensued.